Abbas says Palestinians to move on road map

President-elect Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday the Palestinians intended to start carrying out security commitments under a US-backed "road map" charting a path to statehood and peace with Israel.

The plan, in its initial stage, calls on Palestinians to end all violence and crack down on militants while Israel is meant to withdraw forces from some areas and freeze settlement growth.

Mr Abbas, elected on Sunday to succeed Yasser Arafat as president, has urged militant groups to cease fire after four years of bloodshed, but he has said he wants to co-opt rather than confront them.

"The road map starts with security commitments and then moves on to final-status issues... we are ready to implement our commitments," said Mr Abbas, whose calls to end armed struggle for independence have been rejected by militants.

Mr Abbas, speaking to visiting Christian clergymen, urged Israel to carry out its obligations under the plan.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, widely expected to meet Mr Abbas soon, has said a crackdown on militants was essential to any revival of peace negotiations.